Sixteen

                                    

                                          
After the eventful Swayamvara of the fireborn princess, rumors spread that the Agnisuta had married the five Pandavas. Certainly such news spread far and wide as a woman having five husbands is never heard of before. The Pandavas along with their common wife stayed in Kampilya for more than a year before going to Hastinapur, where after discussions for another year, Kuru empire was divided into two parts, Hastinapur for the Kauravas under the crown Prince Suyodhana and Khandavaprastha for the Pandavas under the new king Yudhishthir, though the Pandavas ruled from the Hastinapur for about five years before a kingdom is built for them.
In the year after Draupadi Swayamvar, there was the Swayamvara of the Kalinga kanya Princess Bhanumati, said to fairest of the whole Bharatavarsha. Still smarting from the loss at Panchaali's swayamvar, Prince Suyodhana wanted to have the Kalinga princess as his wife at any cost, and on the suggestion of his uncle Gandhar raj, he sought the help of his friend Ashwatthama. Those two attended the swayamvar together and when the Princess Bhanumati rejected Prince Suyodhana, he was wroth as he was reminded of his recent loss. So, at once he pushed aside the guards and caught hold of the princess, lifting her onto his shouldeds, he shouted that he is taking the princess as his wife in the way of Rakshasa vivaah and if anybody has any objections, they can try to stop him.
Many kings already aware of the reputation of Kurus abducting brides, simply let them afraid of the might of Mahaamahim Bheeshm, while some tried but failed to get past Ashwatthama, who stood between Prince Suyodhana and the remaining kings stopping them and protecting his friend. I couldn't help but chuckle at the irony that in the epic it was Karna, who helped his friend in kidnapping the princess out of loyalty, but here it is another Karna, who is going to stop Duryodhana and his friend from kidnapping the same princess.
By the time, I decided to confront the kidnapping duo, they were trying to flee with two ladies. I got on my chariot and caught up to them before they crossed the city gates. When they saw me, they left the ladies in their chariot and challenged me to ddefeat them if I want the princess to be freed. By this time the king chitrangadha and his guards reached us. The king looked at me with hope as he knew he couldn't overcome the son of Drona in bow or Gandhari nandhan in Mace. Even if by some miracle, he defeated and captured them, he was sure Kalinga would be destroyed by the wrath and fury of Bheeshma and Drona. I accepted the challenge and defeated Ashwatthama soon. He was talented no doubt and will become even more so in the future, but he couldn't match me, who had been honing my skills for more than two decades since reaching the status of a Maharathi. After that Prince Suyodhana fought me with his face, without a doubt he was a fine mace wielder and his talent with mace is undeniable, but his strength couldn't measure up to mine as I was already much stronger than him and he lost half his strength to me before the fight even began. The fight didn't last long. I let the two friends leave, as the king of Kalinga didn't dare to punish them fearing repercussions. As I turned to leave, the princess called me to wait. She just reached me with her friend and maid, Supriya, and said that as I have saved them from being abducted, they are my responsibility and since nobody would like to marry abducted women, I have to take them as my wives. When I said that I was already married, they argued that a king is expected to marry multiple wives and even Princess Draupadi married five husbands, so my argument is invalid. 
In a short and hasty ceremony, I took them as my wives and reached Magadha. I dreaded my facing my wife. But she just smiled and invited us. When I tried to explain what happened, she told me that I don't need to explain and that she trusts me that I wouldn't do any thing without a reason. Still, I couldn't leave it like that and described what happened. She just shook her head fondly and said I did the right thing. She then said that she now had two more sisters and accepted them into our family. My mother praised me for protecting the princess while my father about the response of the Kurus. Thankfully, nothing happened and other than the congratulations of Mahaamahim on my marriage, no other message was received from Hastinapur.